Fluid turning blades



Nov. 15, 1960 E. A. STALKER 2,960,305

FLUID TURNING BLADES Original Filed Aug. 3, 1950 v 8 I .2 E15. 9ulvu/flIINVENTOR.

F g 10 fl y/[ United States Patent FLUID TURNING BLADES Edward A.Stalker, Bay City, Mich., assignor to The Stalker Corporation, acorporation of Michigan Original application Aug. 3, 1950, Ser. No.177,479,

now Patent No. 2,772,855, dated Dec. 4, 1956. Divided and thisapplication Feb. 25, 1953, Ser. No.

Claims. (Cl. 253-39) "ice 2 a very important point since machiningoperations to produce faired surfaces at the leading and trailing edgesare very expensive.

For succinctness in the claims I refer to one of the parts as a basepart or wall. Either part may be regarded as a base part which carriesthe other or mating part. I also refer to the juxtaposed blade parts ascomplementary or mating parts. The front portions of either wall,especially the portions which are curved, are called nose portions.

The blade parts 14 are preferably stamped from a carrier strip of metal40 inwardly of the strip leaving continuous margins along bothlongitudinal edges thereof. The blade parts are held integral with themarginal port-ions of the strip at both ends of the blade parts as shownin Fig. 5 by the small necks of metal 42 at each end of the blade partswhich as shown in Fig. 5 are Still another object is to provide a bladeformed from she'et metal which requires a minimum of finishing at it'sjoints.

- Other objects will appear from the description, drawings and claims.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 shows a blade in planform according to thepresent invention;

Fig.2 is a section along line 2-2 in Fig. l

Fig. 3 is a section of a blade part before being given 7 the airfoilcontour;

Fig. 4 is a section of the blade upper part; Fig. 5 shows in plan form agang of blade parts partly pressed to shape;

separated in the spanwise direction of the blade and located in areasintermediate the leading and trailing edges of the blade, thusconstituting a gang or set of blade parts. The strip may be of anylength and contain any number of blade parts.

In the next operation as shown in Fig. 6 the leading edge portion '24 isbent to the position shown in Fig. 2 and the general curvature in thechordwise direction is impressed on the part 14 as shown in the latterfigure.

- Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a portion of the gang of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a portion of the gang of blade upperparts;

Fig. 8 shows the upper gang superimposed on the lower gang 30 andsupported on a fixture;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of an individual blade lower part;

and

Fig. 10 shows a gang of blade upper parts and individual blade lowerparts placed in mating relation thereon rial No. 177,479, filed August3, 1950, now Patent No. 2,772,855.

As shown particularly in Fig. 2 the blade 10 is formed in two parts, theupper part 12 and the lower part 14. The latter has the groove or recess16 near the trailing edge into which the upper part nests to form thejoint 18. The groove is just deep enough that the upper surface of theblade is fair across the joint 18.

At the leading edge there is the groove or recess 22 forming a portionof reduced thickness so that the narrow outer part 24 beyond the groovecan be bent about the recess into the position shown in Figs. 2 and 6with a. very small nose radius 26.

The lower blade part 14 with the grooves 16 and 22 is shown in Fig. 3before the part is bent to the shape shown in Fig. 2.

The grooves 16 and 22 and the tapered parts 24 and 28 are preferablystamped or rolled to shape.

The upper blade part 12 has the groove 30 forming a contoured edge asshown in Figs. 2 and 4 into which the portion 24 fits.

It will be observed that both upper and lower parts can be rolled orpressed or milled and that when the two parts are assembled there are nofurther operations required to form the leading and trailing edges. Thisis The blade part is twisted at the neck 42 to an angle of about 45relative to the plane of the strip at its margins 46 and 48 which remaincontinuous. The upper blade parts 12 are formed in a strip 50 in amanner similar to that of the lower parts 14. Suitable lengths of thetwo strips are imposed one on the other in overlying relation as shownin Fig. 8 and located by the pins 54 (of fixture 51) passing through theholes 52 in the strips 40 and 50 which thus form means formdexing thestrips relative to each other. The complementary parts to form a bladeare thus brought into registration or mating relation. The juxtaposedstrips 40 and 50 held in place by the pins 54 on the fixture 51 arepassed through a brazing furnace to braze the joints at the leading andtrailing edges of each blade assembly. The brazing material may beinserted or painted on the parts at the joints just before the bladeparts are brought into mating relation.

After removal firom the furnace the blade necks 42 may be sawed throughto free the blades from the strips.

This application is a division of parent application Se- The blades areparticularly adapted for stator blades in axial flow compressors andturbines where they may be inserted in suitable rings at either or bothends.

Instead of both upper and lower blade parts being carried in strips,just one strip of blade parts may be used and the mating parts may beindividually made and placed in mating relation on the other part. Suchan individual piece is shown in Fig. 9 as 14. Fig. 10 shows it placed onblade part 12.

The end portions 24 and 28 arer eferred to as being outside or outwardlyof the grooves 22 and 16 respectively.

Although the carriers are shown in the figures as being straight, theymay also be arcuaite or any other shape.

While I have illustrated a specific form of this invention it is to beunderstood that I do not intend to limit myself to this exact form butintend to claim my invention broadly as indicated by the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. A hollow axial flow blade structure for compressors, turbines and thelike comprising a continuous sheet metal carrier strip havinglongitudinal side edges, said strip having a series of spaced bladeparts formed therein inwardly of said edges leaving continuous integralmargins along both said edges thereof separated in the spanwisedirection of the blades, said blade parts being 3 curved chordwisethereof to form the contour of one face of the blade and having leadingand trailing edges, in tegral necks at each end of the blade partsjoining said blade pants with said carrier strip along both of said mar!gins in areas intermediate said leading and-trailing .edges, and matingblade parts having the contour of the other face of the blade, saidmating blade parts each over1ying and mating with one of said series ofblade parts in assembled relation to form a continuous series of streanrline axial flow hollow blades having sharp trailing edges.

2. A hollow axial flow blade structurefor compressors, turbines and thelike comprising a first continuous sheet metal carrier strip havinglongitudinal side edges, said strip having a series of spaced bladeparts formed therein inwardly of said edges leaving continuous integralmargins along both said edges thereof, said blade parts having thecurved contour chordwise thereof of one face of the blade and havingleading and trailing edges, integral necks at each end of the bladeparts joining said blade parts with said carrier strip along both ofsaid margins in areas intermediate said leading and trailing edges, 3.second continuous sheet metal carrier strip having a second series ofmating blade parts formed therein each having the contour of the otherface of said blade, said second series of blade parts each overlyingand-mating with one of said first series of blade parts in assembledrelation to form a series of streamline axial flow hollow blades havingsharp trailing edges.

3. A hollow axial flow blade structure for compressors, turbines and thelike comprising a'first continuous sheet metal carrier strip havinglongitudinal side edges, said strip having a series of spaced bladeparts formed therein inwardly of said edges leaving continuous integralmargins along both said edges thereof, said blade parts having thecurved contour chordwise thereof of one face of the blade and havingleading and trailing edges, integral necks at each end of said bladeparts joining said turbines and the like comprising a first continuoussheet metal carrier strip having longitudinal side edges, said striphaving a series of spaced blade parts formed therein inwardly of saidedges leaving continuous margins along both said edges thereof, saidblade parts having the curved contour of one face of the blade andhaving leading and trailing edges, integral necks joining said bladeparts with said carrier strip along both of said margins in areasintermediate said leading and trailing edges, a second continuous sheetmetal carrier strip having a second series of mating blade parts formedtherein each having the contour of the other face of said blade, saidsecond series of blade parts each overlying and mating with one of saidfirst series of blade parts in assembled relation to form a series ofstreamline axial flow hollow blades having sharp trailing edges, andmeans on said strips for indexing the same relative to each other toestablish proper mating relation.

5. A hollow axial flow blade structure for compressors, turbines and thelike comprising a first continuous sheet metal carrier strip havinglongitudinal side edges, said strip having a series of spaced bladeparts formed therein inwardly of said edges leaving continuous marginsalong both said edges thereof, said blade parts having the curvedcontour of one face of the blade and having leading and trailing edges,integral necks joining said blade parts with said carrier strip alongboth said margins in areas intermediate said leading and trailing edges,a second continuous sheet metal carrier strip having longitudinal sideedges and a second series of mating blade parts formed therein inwardlyof said edges leaving continuous margins along both said edges thereof,said mating blade parts having the contour of the other face of bladeparts with said carrier strip along both said margins in areasintermediate said leading and trailing edges, a second continuous sheetmetal carrier strip having longitudina-l side edges and a second seriesof mating blade parts formed therein inwardly of said edges leavingcontinuous margins along both longitudinal edges thereof, said matingblade parts having the contour of the other face of the blade, saidfirst and second carrier strips being assembled in contact with eachother such that each of said first series of blade parts is in overlyingand mating relation with one of said second series of blade parts toform a continuous series of streamline axial flow hollow blades havingsharp trailing edges.

4. A hollow axial flow blade structure for compressors,

theblade, said-first and second carrier strips being assembled incontact with each other such that corresponding margins of saidrespectivestrips are'in directmating relation with each other and eachof said first series of blade parts is in overlying and mating relationwith one of said second series of bladeparts to form a continuous seriesof streamline axial flow hollow blades having sharp trailing edges.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS863,428 Nikonow Aug. 13, 1907 1,829,179 Back Oct. 27, 1931 2,428,728Watson Oct. 7, 1947 2,432,185 Watson Dec. 9, 1947 2,514,525 Stulen July11, 1950 2,604,298 Bachle July 22, 1952 2,649,278 Stalker Aug. 18, 1953

